Did My First Mother Love Me?, by Kathryn Ann Miller One birth mother wishes, hopes and dreams of her baby. This book helps to reassure children that their birth mother did love them and wanted the best for them. It was written by a Spence-Chapin birth mother.
May the Circle Be Unbroken, by Lynn C. Franklin The author was an unmarried college sophomore when she made an adoption plan for her son. She has recently been reunited with him. More than a personal story, her book paints a complete picture of the complex experience of adoption and provides perspective on the more open environment in adoption today. Lynn Franklin serves on the board of directors at Spence-Chapin.
The Open Adoption Experience: A Complete Guide for Adoptive and Birth Families — From Making the Decision Through the Child's Growing Years, by Lois Ruskai Melina and Sharon Kaplan Roszia From the decision making process through the challenges as the adoptive child grows, this book touches almost every aspect of an open adoption.
Open Adoption: A Caring Option, by Jeanne Warren Lindsay Using personal narrative, this book thoroughly explains the advantages and disadvantages of open adoption. Specific agency examples are given to illustrate the process.
Out of the Shadows: Birth Fathers' Stories, by Mary Marion Mason The men portrayed reveal a wide range of adjustment to being a father by biology, not by role. They range in age from 10 to the mid-fifties.
Pregnant? Adoption is an Option, by Jeanne Warren Lindsay This book encourages birth parents to work with a counselor who will help them make a plan — someone who will be there whether they decide to parent or to provide their child with a different family through adoption.
Saying Goodbye to a Baby, by Particia Roles, MSW This book was written for all birth parents who share a common bond of unspoken loss and grief. There is a companion book for counselors.
Resources for Open Adoption/R2 Press A comprehensive collection of published works focusing on open adoption, including four pamphlets written by Brenda Romanchik, founder of R2 Press and a birth parent who placed her son in an open adoption almost two decades ago.